Chapter Eight
The soft cotton of the baby-doll dress slipped over Danielle’s oversensitive skin to wrap her in comfort. A shiver embraced her from head to toe before she pulled her trench coat around her. She cinched the belt tight with the same mechanical movements that’d taken over since she’d come.
Dani.
The agony in Trevor’s voice had torn through her meager shield to gut her defenses and bare her truths. She’d clung to him with a desperate intensity that he’d returned.
If only for that moment.
She inhaled, fortifications rebuilding. The city skyline still twinkled outside the window. Car lights still moved over the Bay Bridge. Life still continued on its meandering path with no guarantees.
Her toes protested when she slipped her heels back on. The discomfort was worth the dignity they’d provide when she left the building. She’d made the trip here knowing full well how it would end. She had no illusions and wouldn’t resort to hiding behind some fake belief that one intense moment would result in a changed ending.
If anything, he’d be even more remote now.
Her sigh picked at the sorrow that nipped at her heart and begged her to vault into a pity party of her making. She shook her head, chin lifting. Nope. That would be another pointless endeavor.
A last exhale. A quick fluff of her hair. A check of her lipstick, and she was ready to go. This was just another Boardroom scene. She’d been a member since her divorce two years ago, and she’d never regretted either decision.
Trevor was her poison and her friend, and she’d learned to live with both.
The hall was empty when she stepped out. A deserted feel echoed through the air and howled her isolation. Another chill slid down her spine on a path of regrets she refused to have.
She hitched her purse strap over her shoulder and strode to the stairs. Her heart was perfectly sheltered before she reached the first step.
The low sound of deep voices drifted up to her before the source came into view. She didn’t need to see them to know who was in the lobby. The options were limited, but Trevor’s voice was attached to her memory with a permanence she’d never shake.
The conversation died away as she descended. Drake and Trevor both turned to watch her. Her pulse jumped, but she kept that hidden behind the front she’d honed and perfected in her teens.
“Danielle,” Drake said with a small nod. “It’s been a pleasure.” He turned to Trevor. “I’ll talk to you next week.” He swung through the glass doors without looking back.
Danielle watched Drake as she approached the man who knew her as none other did. Not even her ex-husband. The light from the elevator lobby shined through the glass doors to brighten the interior lobby of Faulkner Investment Group with its yellow glow. An elevator arrived, and Drake entered it without looking back.
Danielle stopped beside Trevor, his presence vibrating over her like it always did. Her composure was wrapped around her when she looked to him. “Thank you. I enjoyed the evening.”
He studied her, his expression giving away nothing. It rarely did. He’d withdrawn the second he’d pulled away from her in the boardroom. They’d clung to each other until their breaths had slowed and time had dictated they part. The others had finished, and the scene had ended. There’d been no reason for them to hold on to each other.
He reached out, trailed his fingers down her hairline to tuck a few strands behind her ear. The familiarity and intimacy of the gesture had her longing once again for what could never be. “As did I.”
Her smile faltered, fell. Her heart lurched, only to resettle when he pulled his hand back. He hadn’t bothered with his suit jacket when he’d redressed. His resemblance to the man who’d stood at the window earlier and stalked her with his open lust ended at his clothing. There was nothing in his gaze now except for mutual respect.
She gave him the same thing back. Their interlude was over, and the real world dictated their standing within it. “Good night, Trevor.” Her voice was level with a hint of honest warmth. That was the most she could give him now.
He opened the door for her and stood aside as she passed. “I’m glad you came,” he said when she was in the outer lobby. The words hit her in the back, and she was thankful he couldn’t see her wince. The truth in his voice nailed her dreams with the cutting edge of acceptance.
She pressed the down arrow on the bank of elevators before looking back to him. “So am I.” She was, truly. She’d never regret a single encounter with him.
An elevator arrived on a ping of announcement that saved her from further comment. There was little left to say. Tomorrow would go on like normal. She had a life full of friends and work and goals that had nothing to do with Trevor.
She tilted her head in a silent goodbye and entered the elevator. Her breath held until the doors slid closed and her descent started. Only then did she let a gulp of air into her lungs.
Only then did she close her eyes and give in to the moment of loss. One that ended when she reached the first floor.
Shoulders back, she strode through the grand lobby of the office building, smiled at the security guard behind the counter and left through the revolving glass door.
One step outside, and she was done with Trevor James. They had the Boardroom and nothing more. She could meet him there anytime she wanted and she would again—when she was ready.